The office of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), George Akuffo Dampare, has expressed his admiration for the songs of music legend, Kojo Antwi.
The IGP opened his doors to entertainers after he showcased his interest in the sector with the ‘IGP and celebrities discussion’. Thereon, multiple artistes have paid courtesy visits to the IGP.
The latest to add to the fast-growing list is legendary highlife artiste, Kojo Antwi who was captured at the Police Headquarters in Accra on Tuesday.
IGP Dampare gave the legend a bow to welcome him into his chambers for a discussion that is yet to be made public.
Among other things, Kojo Antwi took the opportunity to tour the police quarters and be briefed on the history of the service as well as past officers.
It was with smiles the duo, together with other police officers took a stroll within and about the headquarters.
From IGP Dampare’s reaction, it is safe to say he revers the ‘Medofo Pa’ crooner.
Kojo Antwi’s visit comes after his colleagues Daddy Lumba and Great Ampong visited the IGP.
A video celebrating the business mogul’s birthday has garnered.
The energy Abeiku Sanatan exuded by singing on top of his lungs to celebrate Despite sparked discussion on social media.
“Why is he trying too hard to please Despite?” How can a whole Abeiku Santana be reduced to a cheerleader? Money has reduced Abeiku Santana to a schoolkid. These were some of the remarks made.
According to many, Abeiku Santana must have some level of self-respect and not overact whenever he is seen around the rich man.
Many believe that despite his wealth and influence, Abeiku Santana had to sing his heart out and serve as a cheerleader just to please him and make him happy.
An action many have condemned considering Abeiku Santana’s pedigree.
Paris Saint-Germain have decided not to negotiate again with the London club. According to ‘The Telegraph’, this decision was taken after the unsuccessful transfer of Hakim Ziyech, who wanted to leave Chelsea to join PSG.
Hakim Ziyech was set to leave Chelsea after a verbal agreement with Paris Saint-Germain but the English club made three mistakes in sending the necessary paperwork for the transfer to go through. The French club are disappointed with the outcome of the transfer.
According to ‘The Telegraph’, the PSG board decided not to negotiate again in the short term with Graham Potter’s side for having broken off negotiations. Christophe Galtier agreed to Ziyech’s arrival but will not be able to count on him to replace Pablo Sarabia.
The Ligue 1 leaders will have to face the rest of the season with Leo Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappeand Ekitike in attack. However, the manager could also count on Carlos Soler as he has done in the past.
The French side have lodged an appeal with the LFP (Ligue de Football Professionnel) to validate his arrival but it seems that the Morocco international will not move to Paris.
The National Identification Authority (NIA) has absolved itself from blame over claims that it issued a Ghana Card with a different name to the Secretary of the National Cathedral Board of Trustees.
According to the NIA, the registration officials are bound to register and issue a Ghana Card to an applicant who presents any of the valid documents specified by law, including a birth certificate, valid passport, valid residence permit, valid certificate of acquired citizenship, and any other information as may be required by the Authority.
“A person’s popularity is immaterial to the NIA registration process. Indeed, a popular name is not necessarily a person’s real name. NIA officials register applicants based on the names the applicants present to the officials, as captured in any of the above-specified identity documents, such as their birth certificates or passports,” a statement issued by the NIA said on Thursday.
North Tongu Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has questioned the credibility of the national identification exercise after his alleged revelation of the ‘dual identity’ of Secretary of the National Cathedral Board of Trustees, Reverend Victor Kusi-Boateng.
In a tweet on Monday, the lawmaker demanded explanations from the National Identification Authority (NIA) as to how the popular prophet arrived at their registration centre as Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng but was mysteriously issued a Ghana Card bearing the name Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
Reacting to the claims by the lawmaker, the NIA said, contrary to the MP’s assertions, the following constitutes the facts with the issuance of a Ghana Card to Kwabena Adu Gyamfi:
a. During the mass registration exercise, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi went to an NIA registration center called Vicandy School at Asuoyeboah in Kumasi on 15th January 2020 to register for the Ghana Card;
b. He submitted to NIA registration officials a valid Ghanaian passport issued by the Passport Office on 16th May 2018, with the name Kwabena Adu Gyamfi; the expiry date in the said passport is 15th May 2023;
c. NIA registration officials registered Kwabena Adu Gyamfi using his valid passport as the base identity document for his registration, and duly issued him with a Ghana Card;
d. NIA has no record of anyone bearing the name Victor Kusi Boateng in the NIR; and
e. NIA has no record in the NIR of any person born on September 7, 1971, or any other day with the name Victor Kusi Boateng.
The Authority insisted the credibility of the entire registration exercise is solidly intact adding the “credibility of the exercise cannot be questioned simply because Hon. Ablakwa is apparently unable to accept the science and law behind the issuance of a Ghana Card to Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.”
Background
North Tongu Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has questioned the credibility of the national identification exercise after his alleged revelation of the ‘dual identity’ of Secretary of the National Cathedral Board of Trustees, Reverend Victor Kusi-Boateng.
In a tweet on Monday, the lawmaker demanded explanations from the National Identification Authority (NIA) as to how the popular prophet arrived at their registration centre as Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng but was mysteriously issued a Ghana Card bearing the name Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
“Having concluded a rare and comprehensive analysis of the NIA database, I can authoritatively disclose that the biometrics (fingerprint mapping, facial templates and iris recognition) of Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng matches that of Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
“Curiously, the Kwabena Adu Gyamfi Ghana Card with Personal Identification Number: GHA-718578189-2 was issued by the same government only 6 months after the government’s flagship National Cathedral of Ghana was incorporated with Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng registered as an Executive Council Member/Director. For clarity: the National Cathedral of Ghana was incorporated on 18th July, 2019 with the name Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, subsequently Kwabena Adu Gyamfi received his Ghana Card from the same government on 15th January, 2020. This is quite similar to the diplomatic passport saga.
“Inexplicably, the date of birth on the Kwabena Adu Gyamfi Ghana Card is 30th December 1969. A most puzzling development because Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng claims to be born on the 7th of September, 1971. His family, congregation and fellow pastors across the world celebrate his birthday every 7th of September.
He said the NIA should expect a full-scale parliamentary probe when the House resumes next week.
He added:” The latest Ghana Card revelation makes me even more fortified in my conviction that the scandalous transfer of a colossal GHS2.6million of the taxes of suffering Ghanaians to Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng/Kwabena Adu Gyamfi’s ubiquitous JNS Talent Centre Limited by the National Cathedral Secretariat for so-called “Contractors Mobilization” deserves to be thoroughly investigated and the obvious putrefying conflict of interest unraveled by CHRAJ. I still have confidence that CHRAJ will do a great job.”
His latest revelation comes on the heels of the filing of a Right to Information (RTI) requests with the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Registrar General’s Department on Friday, January 27, 2023, that seeks to dig into the National Cathedral Board member’s alleged scandal.
The request borders on issues surrounding the revelation of the possession of multiple identities and other alleged criminal dealings involving the Secretary of the National Cathedral Board of Trustees, Reverend Victor Kusi-Boateng.
Raphael Varane has confirmed his permanent retirement from the French national team. The 29-year-old defender wants to focus fully on club football and said his farewell via social media.
Raphael Varanehas been a permanent fixture in Didier Deschamps’ squad for years and, at 29 years of age, everything pointed to the fact that he had plenty of energy left in him. However, the centre-back’s international career has come to an end sooner than expected.
According to ‘Le Parisien’, the current Manchester United defender wants to focus fully on club football due to his ongoing injuries. Shortly afterwards, the French national team officially announced it.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a few months now and I’ve decided it’s the right time for me to retire from the national team,” he said on his personal Instagram account.
In addition, the French footballer posted in some Instagram stories of the aforementioned social network the best moments lived with France.
The same media outlet stated that, after a decade in the French national team, he has suffered a certain physical and psychological wear and tear that prevents him from being motivated to the maximum.
Another of the reasons given by the aforementioned information is his family. Apparently, Varane aspires to devote more time to his family. In this way, his mind will be fully dedicated to United.
The 21-year-old was arrested in January last year amid allegations surrounding images and videos that emerged online.
He was later charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The Crown Prosecution Service said the charges were discontinued after a key witness withdrew their involvement.
A spokesman said: “We have a duty to keep cases under continuous review.
“In this case a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction. In these circumstances, we are under a duty to stop the case.
“We have explained our decision to all parties.
“We would always encourage any potential victims to come forward and report to police and we will prosecute wherever our legal test is met.”
Ayew joined Nottingham Forest as a free agent after leaving Qatari giants Al Sadd by mutual consent.
The Tricky Trees’ head coach Steve Cooper is said to have convinced the club to sign the former Swansea City star who worked under him in the Championship.
Forest who is out of the relegation zone wants to bolster their squad further in their attempt to stay in the Premier League.
Ayew is not new to the Premier League having had stints with Swansea City and West Ham United in the top-flight.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the Premier League club signed the Black Stars skipper on six months deal. He has concluded his medicals in England and will soon meet his new teammates as they prepare to play Leeds United on 5th February at home.
The Ghanaian attacker scored 21 goals in 89 appearances in the English top-flight.
As part of efforts to empower women in various parts of the country, the Center for Empowering Rural Women (CERW) and Z-Treebiz, (both NGOs passionate about women empowerment) have organised training for women in Langbinsi, Sakogu, and Saamini, all towns in the Northern part of Ghana.
The women, numbering about two hundred and eighteen (218) received training in various aspects of the cashew and shea value chains.
The goal of this collaboration was to empower disadvantaged women in Ghana’s rural areas, as well as those who lack the skills or funds to access available resources.
CERW is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to improving the well-being of rural women. The organisation was founded to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of No Poverty (SDG 1), Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), and Climate Change (SDG 13).
CERW hopes to help women acquire the skills and knowledge they need to improve their livelihoods by collaborating with Z-Treebiz and other organisations. Z-Treebiz, on the other hand, is a tree growers association based in Langbinsi, East Mamprusi District, Northern Ghana.
The organisation is dedicated to promoting sustainable agricultural practices and assisting farmers in increasing yields. Z-Treebiz hopes to increase women’s participation in the workforce by collaborating with CERW. , Z-Treebiz hopes to increase women’s participation in agriculture and enable women to tap opportunities in cashew and shea value her chains.
The training program aims to educate women about the cashew and shea value chains, from production to processing to marketing. Women are also educated on sustainable farming practices and how to improve produce quality. Furthermore, training programs provide women with the skills and knowledge they need to run their businesses effectively.
The collaboration between CERW and Z-Treebiz is a positive step toward empowering women in Ghana’s rural communities. Women’s lives can be improved by providing training and support. This, in turn, helps to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals of zero poverty, zero hunger, and gender equality.
“It is criminal in the first place. Al Jazeera should not be doing that and I think we should take Al Jazeera on as a country because clearly, it makes us look bad”, he said.
He also lamented the trend of foreign media negatively setting the agenda on Africa.
“Every time Ghana comes up, they tend to bring something negative. When you hear Ghana has been named the number one tourist destination or the fastest-growing country in the world. Watch carefully what is put out about Ghana and these are the things that we should be careful about”, he added.
He called on stakeholders to stand firm against organizations that seek to bring Ghana to public ridicule.
Meanwhile, days after the publication of the documentary, cocoa farmers in the Amenfi West District in the Western Region described the documentary as staged.
A special police team comprising investigation, intelligence, and operational officers has been deployed to beef up security in the town and surrounding communities.
On the final day of the transfer window, Slovakian club K Slovan Bratislava has signed Ghanaian attacker Malik Abubakari on loan from Malmo.
Malik Abubakari will stay with ŠK Slovan Bratislava until the end of the season with an option for a permanent transfer.
The 22-year-old joined the HJK Helsinki outfit 15 July 2021, with whom he won the championship title. In addition, Abubakari scored HJK’s advancing goal in the rematch of the Europa League play-offs at Silkeborg, when he shocked the opponent’s goalkeeper with a truly unusual goal from just outside the half of the field.
In the Europa League group, where HJK faced AS Roma, Real Betis, and Ludogorca Razgrad, he started in five of the six games.
Abubakari started his European football journey in Portugal, specifically in Moreirense. From there he had stints at the Portuguese clubs Fafe and Casa Pia.
In the 2020/21 season, he scored 11 goals for Casa Pia in the second Portuguese league and was tied for fifth in the scorers’ chart. In the summer of 2021, he was acquired by Malmö. In 2021, he scored 15 starts and 3 goals in Malmö, he added another 4 starts in the Champions League group.
Pure Fm’s morning show host and sportscaster is Nana Amoako.
According to Nana Amoako, who described his experience to GhanaWeb, he was at the studio on Wednesday afternoon choosing the sports commentary when his producer informed him that two men were looking for him.
“They beat me mercilessly to the point where I could not move, so I pretended as if I was dead. So after some time, they realized that I was dead and they left me,” he added.
According to him, the unknown men took one of his phones away. “I heard one of one of them asking the other, have you taken that phone?” he added.
He noted that these people were after his life because of some critical questions he is been asking on radio that might not be in their favour.
He visited the hospital to receive treatment and subsequently reported the assault to the Tarkwa District police command.
Probably the biggest, most expensive and classiest birthday party of the year is about to happen at East Legon as popular Ghanaian business mogul Dr Osei Kwame Despite celebrates his 61st birthday.
The man who has contributed so much to society by creating jobs and making countless donations to the needy will be massively celebrated by his family, friends and loved ones as he turns 61 today.
Ahead of the plush birthday party which will become the talk of town and trend on the internet for days, Despite and his friends who are members of the East Legon Executive Men’s club are currently parading the streets of Accra with over 30 G-Wagons and his vintage Mercedes-Benz 300D Adenauer which is red in colour.
The 300D Adenauer was specifically designed to be on the same level as the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, looking like a more modern version of a traditional limousine.
It was dubbed Adenauer after the first chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, who used this model very often.
The first Mercedes-Benz 300D was released back in 1960 and it’s still perfect for those who want to ride in style without being overly flashy.
This car looks extremely elegant from any angle you try to admire it and even though it was smaller in size compared to other limousines out there, it still proved to be a massive hit.
If he is not the party’s official flagbearer, the NPP will struggle to win the 2024 presidential elections, he claims.
“We have two years to significantly impact the growth of society. I believe Ghanaians will give us another chance if we are successful.
“But you know with, me we will break the 8… without Ken Agyapong well it will be tough,” he said during a Good Evening Ghana interview monitored by GhanaWeb on Tuesday, January 31, 2023.
The MP for Assin Central is expected to face stiff competition from the likes of the former Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the former Food and Agriculture Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto and ex- Mampong MP Francis Addai-Nimoh for the flagbearership position of the NPP.
Using its most recent offer to individual bondholders as justification, the government pushed up the deadline for voluntarily participating in the DDEP from January 31, 2023, to February 14, 2023.
Additionally, all retirees (including those retiring in 2023) will be offered instruments with a maximum maturity of 5 years instead of 15 years and a 15% coupon rate.
Reacting to this in an interview on Neat FM monitored by GhanaWeb on Wednesday, lawyer Kpebu said that the individual bondholders will not accept the new deal by the government because it makes them worse off.
He refuted assertions that the government has no money to pay bondholders, saying that the increase in the government’s expenditures in the 2023 budget shows that the government has money.
“We are not happy with the new offer, and we are not going to accept it. If we accept the new deal, it will make us worse off.
“A government that says it does not have money is spending 40 percent more than it spent last year in some sectors and 20 percent more in other sectors. How can a government that says it has no money be spending more? It doesn’t make sense,” he said in Twi.
“The government must reduce its expenditure; it must suspend some projects for at least one year. We live on the interest of our bonds, the government cannot tell us it does not have money to pay us while it is constructing new projects,” the lawyer added.
Ghanaian highlife singer, Kwabena Kwabena, has reacted to the death of the mother of Priscilla Opoku-Agyemang, popularly known as Ahuofe Patri.
He extended his condolence to the actress’ family, adding that, he is yet to personally reach out to her.
Kwabena Kwabena made these statements on Neat FM, where he claimed to have heard the news just the previous night.
‘My condolence to the family. I have not reached out but I will, I heard about it last night. Of course, I will reach out and send my condolence,” he stated.
Earlier on Monday, January 30, 2023, Ahuofe Patricia took to her Instagram page to announce the death of her mother, Susana Opoku.
“I know you are resting, but I feel so lonely,” she wrote.
Although the actress shared little details about the unfortunate incident, it generated commiseration messages from scores of celebrities.
Ahoufe Patricia’s screen boyfriend, Kalybos, also commiserated with her;
“She will forever be in our hearts. Rest well, sister Akos.”
Ahuofe Patricia and Kwabena Kwabena’s rumored love affair There have been widespread rumours of Kwabena Kwabena and Ahoufe Patricia’s secret love affair in recent times.
The likes of Afia Schwarzenegger and Kontihene once alleged that Kwabena Kwabena introduced Ahuofe Patricia to drugs and camped her at an undisclosed area in Kokrobite.
Afia Schwarzenegger claimed that the actress’ family wasn’t in support of her relationship with Kwabena Kwabena.
Interestingly the two have denied any of such allegations.
In a recent discussion on United Showbiz, Ahuofe Patricia refuted the rumours.
“I don’t even know him like that. The whole thing was a surprise to me and everybody. It was news to me too because I don’t know where all that came from. They were all created in people’s minds. People were doing so much detective work. He is someone I know. I’d say I know him just as I know Wendy Shay. I have met him too, just as I have met you, Abeiku. We are all in the entertainment industry,” She told Abeiku Santana.
Kwabena Kwabena also stated in an interview with Delay that he had never even shared a residence with Ahuofe Patricia.
While only one of those two stories is accurate, did you also know that a blacksmith was the man credited with developing Ghana’s renowned cocoa-producing skills?
A blacksmith who gifted Ghana its most profitable cash crop, that’s the true story of the man Tetteh Quarshie.
The 1879 story that has been told without number has somehow also missed the very fine and interesting detail that Ghana’s Tetteh Quarshie was not even the greatest farmer the country has ever had.
This historical-correction was shared with GhanaWeb’s Wonder Ami Hagan when she visited the Tetteh Quarshie’s Cocoa Farm at Mampong Akuapem, in the Easter Region, in 2020.
This was to allow for all such travellers to be checked to ensure that, while on return from their respective countries at the time, they were not carrying any foreign items.
Tetteh Quarshie may not have known the effect the decision he was making at the time would have on his home country, Ghana, but he made a smart move.
Being a blacksmith, he kept all his working tools in a toolbox. This box was the last place anyone would have checked for any foreign items or goods, and so that was exactly where he kept them.
But all he could keep in there were six cocoa pods; a plant he had discovered in that country on the west coast of Africa.
It became a well-cooked plan, and over the six-week journey Tetteh Quarshie undertook on the sea in 1879, to the coast of the Gold Coast, his pods remained intact.
In the words of Thomas Awuku, who has been working at the Tetteh Quarshie Farm for years, a job handed down to him by his father, who also took over the management of the farm from Tetteh Quarshie:
“That’s the history we also learnt about him, but when I got to this stage, I realised they were telling us a lot of lies about Tetteh Quarshie. Tetteh Quarshie didn’t swallow cocoa beans before he brought them to Ghana because in the 1870s travelling was difficult. There were no aeroplanes for travelling so we travel by the sea – either with ship or canoe. Tetteh Quarshie went with the ship, and it took him six weeks from Ghana to Fernando Po, which is currently known as Equatorial Guinea.
“Assuming he swallowed the cocoa beans and for six weeks on the ship, are they trying to tell us that the whole six weeks on the sea, he couldn’t visit the washroom? And if he did, it means everything went back straight into the sea so we never got back the beans and returned back to Ghana,” he told GhanaWeb’s Wonder Ami Hagan on People and Places.
Explaining further the story, Thomas said that even on his return to the Gold Coast, Tetteh Quarshie made an unsuccessful attempt at planting the first seed in Accra, as the soil type – mostly sandy and clayey, did not allow the crop to grow.
It was only when another missionary work came and took him to Mampong Akuapem that he found good soil.
According to reports, 32-year-old Shadrach Arloo passed away after being assaulted by a police officer in Accra’s West Hills neighborhood.
According to reports, the event occurred on January 30, 2023, on a Monday afternoon. The young man apparently refused to give over his bag to a police officer who requested to check it, which resulted in a dispute at the mall area where he went to withdraw money.
The police officer who is said to have gotten agitated hit and pushed him to the ground, leading to his death.
But in a statement from management of the West Hills Mall, the incident was misreported.
Shadrach, is said to have taken out something from his bag and swallowed it as the policeman approached him.
The mall’s cameras subsequently captured a footage of the officer apprehending the young man together with another he was with as they headed for the main entrance of the mall.
An attempt by the police to handcuff him resulted in a struggle between the parties. The statement further noted that after the police officer succeeded in handcuffing him, the struggle stopped as the man in question appeared to be unwell.
The handcuffs were then removed by the police officer and he was taken to the medical facility on-site but he was pronounced dead on arrival. The Weija District Police have since retrieved the body.
Below is the full statement as sighted on citinewsroom.com
PRESS STATEMENT
Incident at West Hills Mall on Monday, January 30, 2023
The Management of West Hills Mall hereby confirms that an incident occurred on its premises in the afternoon of Monday, January 30, 2023 which unfortunately resulted in a fatality.
By eyewitness and mall security personnel accounts, at approximately 3:15pm on January 30, 2023, a visitor was confronted by a Police Officer and asked to present his bag for examination. The Police Officer ostensibly suspected the customer, a young man between 25 and 30 years, of possessing drugs or banned substances. The accounts indicate that the young man hesitated, removed something from his bag and swallowed it as the policeman approached him.
West Hills Mall’s 24-hour security surveillance system captured footage of the officer apprehending the young man, as well as another man who accompanied him, as they headed for the main entrance of the mall. In an attempt to handcuff the young man, a struggle between the parties ensued while the Police Officer tried to handcuff him.
He was eventually handcuffed but stopped struggling and appeared unwell after that. The Police subsequently removed the cuffs from his hands, and Mall Security arranged for transportation for him to be taken to the medical facility on-site. Sadly, he was pronounced dead by Medics upon arrival.
The Weija District Police have since retrieved the body of the deceased.
The Management of West Hills Mall is shocked by this ill-fated incident. We convey our sincerest condolences to the deceased’s family as we trust that the Police will handle the matter further.
Thank You.
Olympio Agbodza Assiastant Asset Manager, West Africa Asset Management
Sister’s Account:
Sister of the deceased who is a gospel musician, Perpetual Didier, narrating the incident in a viral video said that her brother who was scheduled to travel to Germany the next day had gone to the mall for shopping on the said day of the incident.
He had therefore gone to withdraw money in order to purchase some items intended to be sent to his sister in Germany.
She added that, from what an eyewitness told her, the police demanded that her brother hand over his bag to be searched, but he refused.
This then led to the police officer getting agitated and then hitting and pushing him to the ground.
Perpetual added that her brother fell to the ground and hit his head on the floor, breaking his neck in the process.
He is said to have lost consciousness, at which time the police officer tased the motionless man on the floor.
It is believed that this worsened the state the young man was already in, leading to his death.
While the police have yet to respond officially to these claims, the gospel musician is demanding justice from the IGP.
Her wedding fliers and pre-video advertisements touted a unique royal wedding that would take place at Ahodwo’s opulent and pricey Greenwood Events Center.
The alleged overseas fiancé was in his seventies. A week prior to the wedding, Wilson Dass traveled to Ghana with his family to finally see his sweetheart in person after several months of virtual courtship.
It is, however, unclear why and how the groom Dass; his parents Mr. Bura Dass and Mrs. Dhanti Dass and the rest of the Indian family; bolted the night before the wedding, without a word to the Ghanaian family.
Kasapafmonline.com gathers that the lady’s family only got wind that the wealthy Indian family had returned to India few hours to the wedding which had seen a huge digital and physical publicity awaiting a huge crowd of youth from Shelly’s community.
“Look, I had ironed a jacket and a kente just for this wedding. Several boys were coming but I had to put it on hold. I had to put off my phone because I was overwhelmed with calls asking whether what they had heard was true,” a source told reporter Ivan Heathcote – Fumador.
“We hear this man is a very wealthy man. He sent over 200 thousand cedis for this wedding alone so the preparation was huge. The lady was actually boasting in the community that she is going to hold the biggest-ever wedding in town, another person close to the heartbroken lady explained.
Other sources in the community indicate that the boast was hyped to spite other rival female slay queen groups in the area and to further mock the lady’s x-boyfriend whom she had a child with.
The confusion has led to a series of speculations with some purporting the lady did not show affection and warmth in the presence of Dass whenever they appeared in public in the short time the two met physically.
For now, the lady; her father who is a popular footballer and her mother Gifty Boadu remain indoors, perhaps nursing their wounds and planning how to put themselves together to face the heartbreak and embarrassment caused them by the estranged boyfriend.
Kwame Appiah Dankwah, President of the Pig Farmers Association of Ghana, is unhappy about the importation of pork from the United States (U.S) into the country.
He claimed that such a move would bring Ghana’s poultry industry to its knees.
Ghana has officially opened its market to pork and pork products from the United States.
According to a statement posted on the website of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the USDA has received official correspondence from Ghana’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture acknowledging receipt of the FSIS’ proposed certificate of export of pork and pork products and confirming its acceptance.
Mr. Appiah Dankwah, in response, stated that the move is not good and should be reconsidered.
“The importation of pork products from the United States will cause the Ghanaian industry to collapse. Several factories in Ghana produce pork products. As a result, the importation of such products will deprive us of our jobs and livelihood. You introduced pig rearing for food and jobs and gave people piglets. These farmers are about to benefit as you announce the importation of pork products,” he said.
“This is a terrible decision. It would aggravate the cedi’s depreciation. If the government wants us to produce more to meet demand, we should talk about it and figure out how to do it instead of importing.”
He clarified that the government’s propaganda on the situation is untrue.
The veiled implication that there may be difficulties with tradability is one thing I wish to refute. I’m not a member of it. Neither does our technical committee. It is a subjective matter. But for leaders to publicly state this is a complete fabrication. If you invest in the new bond, you won’t ever lose any money.
This was his response to an earlier statement issued by the Finance Ministry that “upon a successful DDEP there will be very few of the ‘old bonds’ in circulation, and likely limit its tradability.”
The government in its revised terms explained that even though individual bondholders are exempted from the programme, it is still voluntary to participate in the programme.
The deadline for the programme has thus been extended for the fourth time to February 7, 2023, with revised terms as follows:
a. An affirmation that all individual bondholders are free not to participate;
b. However, upon a successful DDEP there will be very few of the ‘old bonds’ in circulation, and likely limit its tradability;
c. In this regard, the Government is pleased to make available the following alternative offer to encourage all individual bondholders to participate in the Exchange:
i. All individual bondholders who are below the age of 59 years will be offered instruments with a maximum maturity of 5 years, instead of 12 years, and a 10% coupon rate;
ii. All retirees (including those retiring in 2023) will be offered instruments with a maximum maturity of 5 years, instead of 12 years, and a 15% coupon rate.
“These developments have necessitated the final extension of the deadline from January 31, 2023, to Tuesday, February 7, 2023, and a new settlement date of Tuesday, February 14, 2023, that will be confirmed via the new Exchange Memorandum,” the Finance Ministry added.
Meanwhile, a revised and final Exchange Memorandum will be released by Thursday, February 2, 2023.
Award-winning Ghanaian singer, songwriter, and composer Kwaisey Pee says he does not need to beef with other artiste before making a name for himself or making news on social media.
According to Kwaisey Pee, who was speaking on his alleged beef with AMG boss Criss Waddle, he had never had any disagreement with him, describing Criss Waddle as his “little brother.”
When asked if his perceived beef with Chris Waddle was a way of making news on social media, Kwaisey Pee-born Kwesi Poku Addae noted, “no, I’m too old for that,” adding, “I don’t use controversies to sell my music.”
“Criss Waddle is my brother, my little brother. We are not beefing. You know it’s our people and perception because I don’t know what they’ve seen or what they’ve heard,” Kwaisey Pee told GTV in an interview monitored by MyNewsGH.com.
This comes after the government previously declared that it was wrapping up discussions with organized labor and pension fund trustees over a unique framework for the program.
According to the Finance Ministry, discussions on a separate arrangement with Organized Labor and Pension Fund Trustees are currently being finalized in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding signed with Organized Labor on December 22, 2022, and in line with the government’s debt management program.
Commenting on the new development on the programme, Organised Labour recalled the earlier agreement, which stated that: “Government has decided to grant exemption to all pension funds in the DDE programme. ”
“Organised Labour, hereby, reiterates that this position is final as far as involvement of Pension Funds in the DDEP is concerned,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.
It added that: “By this, Organised Labour and ALL our Pension Schemes are not participating in any DDE Programme as per the aforementioned exemption from government.
“Any contrary communication or position is alien to us and should be dismissed by all well-meaning Ghanaians. Any attempt to go contrary to this agreement will be fiercely resisted by Organised Labour,” the statement emphasised.
It assured all workers of Ghana that Organised Labour would continue to safeguard their interest at all times.
The DDE forms part of efforts by the Government to assure the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of debt sustainability and gain creditors’ confidence in the Fund’s $3 billion loan-support programme.
The increase, which will be applied to all pensioners on the SSNIT pension payroll as of December 31, 2022, will take effect in January 2023 and was announced by SSNIT Director-General Dr. John Ofori Tenkorang.
After a meeting with the Director-General, the Association expressed its “excitement” on the increase in pensions while urging the government to put its constituents’ wellbeing first.
The Association’s General Secretary, Stephen Boakye said: “If you are given a huge amount today and tomorrow we do not get anything, how will pensions remain sustainable for generations to come?”
He added that SSNIT is committed to being “very prudent” in managing the pension fund; and that the decision to increase pensions was made in consultation with the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA), in line with Section 80 of the National Pensions Act 2008 (Act 766).
The increase in pensions will be applied as a fixed rate of 19 percent, with an additional redistributed flat amount of GH¢73.58. According to SSNIT, this redistribution is a mechanism applied to the indexation rate to cushion low-earning pensioners in conformity with the solidarity principle of social security. As a result, the effective increase in pensions will range from 19.05 percent for the highest-earning pensioner to 43.53% for the lowest-earning pensioner.
In addition to increasing monthly pensions, SSNIT has also increased the maximum insurable earnings for 2023 to GH¢42,000 from GH¢ 35,000. This increase was made in consultation with the NPRA in accordance with Section 63 (3) of the National Pensions Act 2008 (Act 766). The minimum insurable earnings have also been increased from GH¢365.33 to GH¢ 401.76, following the raise in National Daily Minimum Wage.
Dr. Tenkorang also addressed concerns about sustainability of the pension fund. He acknowledged that while the 25 percent increase in pensions is significant, it is important to also consider the fund’s long-term sustainability.
He also highlighted the redistribution mechanism applied to the indexation rate. He explained that this redistribution results in some pensioners receiving an increase of more than 25 percent, with the highest increase being 43.53 percent for the lowest-earning pensioner.
Concerns centered on Rent Masters’ involvement in the scheme, a private organization.
However, a government statement on February 1 explained that the partnership was to:
• Ensure due process and value for money for the sustainability of the Scheme • Ensure accountability and protect the public purse • Exploit the experience and working business model of Rent Masters Ghana Ltd to minimize risk • Promote private sector engagement in providing solutions to housing challenges
According to him, the scheme is to provide low-interest loans to eligible Ghanaians to enable them to pay rent advances, which will be repaid on a monthly basis to match the tenure of the rent.
He said “Currently there is no mechanism by which the youth or eligible households can be supported to access a decent rental accommodation and to effectively protect them from exploitation. For this reason, it has become imperative to address short to medium-term market failures the rental segment is where landlords demand two or more years of rent advance and also streamline the processes for accessing rental accommodation for lower-income households towards the improvement of the quality of rental accommodation.
“Government has made a commitment of GH¢30 million to solving this problem and the initial state will cover the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western, Eastern, Bono East, and Northern region,” he added.
Government commits GH¢30 million to assist tenants to rent – Asenso-Boakye
“We felt the Bank of Ghana should have worked to sustain the gains made by the cedi”, he said, adding: “Unfortunately, we’ve lost focus and are now banking hopes on a certain opaque programme that we titled gold-for-oil “.
“At the very time that the gold-for-oil programme has commenced, for which last week, BOST did put on the market some 41,000 metric tonnes of oil, the reverse is what is rather happening with Ghanaian pump prices, so, clearly, there was a solution we found in November, December to control the cedi depreciation that sort of worked, and for which we had prices drop in November, December and early January”, he explained.
“Unfortunately, we are now banking hopes on a policy or programme whose benefits we are unlikely to derive and that can be attributed to the fact that what was brought in last week made no impact whatsoever in bringing down prices. To the contrary, the prices at the pumps, as of this morning, have gone up by as much as 15 per cent”, he noted.
Ghana has a potential annual soybean producing area of roughly 250,000 hectares, or about 700,000 metric tons, with only about 125,000 hectares actually being cultivated.
The total soybean processing and export shortfall for the nation is 228,000 metric tons, and processed soy meal imports, which accounted for around 200,000 metric tons of grain equivalent, left the market with an unmet need.
The Deputy Food and Agriculture Minister in charge of Crops, addressing a stakeholder meeting on the theme: “Soyabean – A strategic crop for poverty reduction and enhanced food security in Northern Ghana,” said, the main bottleneck was the lack of capacity for medium and smallholder farmers to increase their annual soyabean production with an additional 200,000 metric tonnes.
He said the supply gap provided an opportunity for job creation, poverty reduction and food security in the country, especially in the northern savannas, which produced about 90 per cent of the country’s soyabean and were among the deprived regions of Ghana.
The meeting was part of strategies under the Sustainable Soyabean Production in Northern Ghana (SSPiNG Project) being implemented in 16 districts in the five Northern Regions of Ghana by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), YARA Ghana, Wageningen University, the Netherlands and Felleskjopet Rogaland Agder, Norway, with support from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ghana.
SSPiNG is a four-year project with funding from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).
The project envisions “to materialise the multiple potential benefits of soyabean to smallholder farmers and other value chain actors engaged in the food and feed sectors in Ghana.’’ It is aligned with the Government’s programme, “Investing for Food and Jobs’’.
The primary beneficiary of the project includes 100,000 smallholder farmers (SHFs) who, by year four of the project, will generate a total gross income of $60 million per year with 50 per cent currently on average growing 0.4 hectares of soyabean annually in the 16 districts of Northern Ghana.
With over 300 extension officers and 500 farmer associations and building on existing structures, the project also facilitates Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) around market access, inputs information, mechanisation, finance services, and capacity development demands.
The Deputy Food and Agriculture Minister said the production of soyabean production in Ghana had increased steadily from 113,000 metric tonnes in 2009 to a little over 200,000 metric tonnes in 2020, while demand was more than about 300,000 metric tonnes.
Despite the high production, he said, the processing industry was still confronted with several challenges, including insufficient materials for processing, limited access to credit, and insufficient equipment.
To address the low soyabean yields under smallholder farming conditions, Mr Tufero said, there was the need to facilitate the soya value chain such that smallholder farmers would be linked to input and output markets, finance, equipment, and information through larger commercial farmers and aggregators who had the capacity and incentives to invest in smallholder production.
“These linkages will build the capacity of smallholder farmers to increase the efficiency of their farm businesses with improved production and post-harvest handling practices with an emphasis on processing to meet the ever-increasing demands of the value chain,” he said.
Professor Samuel Adjei-Nsiah, Project Coordinator, in a presentation, said the project was conceptualised around the lack of communication and coordination among soyabean value chain actors in terms of organisation, information management and decision-making tools to ensure that demand for input-output markets and services were efficiently matched with supply.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Prof. Adjei-Nsiah said the challenges with soyabean production was attributable to the lack of policy and strategy on the value chain.
He said: “All the policies that in the value chain currently are ad-hoc policies. For instance, Ghana produces non-GMO soya which creates a niche market for global soyabean and because of this, there is an influx of foreigners to buy soya for export. Some producers are of the view that, the situation is depriving them of their livelihood.”
The Project Coordinator said, there was a need for a comprehensive data on the production of soyabeans in Ghana, and a strategic policy document to guide the industry, explaining that “we need to know the local and export demand, capacity among others to before restrictions are” put on exports.”
The facility would become Africa’s top location for large-scale aircraft maintenance and crew training to enable quick reaction when disasters occur, with a focus on tourism and aviation excellence.
In order to significantly increase intra-African trade through the African Continental Free Trade Area, the action is in line with the government’s agenda for economic development (AFCTA).
He said the project would facilitate tourism, trade, and connectivity to generate economic growth, jobs, alleviate poverty and improve living standards.
With the strategic location of Ghana in global trade, the facility would become a vehicle by converging the 54 African countries into a single market of 1.3 billion people through the ACFTA.
Mr Ayeh said a focus on more intra-African trade in industrial goods would promote Ghana’s industrialisation and the advancement of its manufacturing sector, providing more employment opportunities for the growing youth population.
It would also entice global business giants to participate in ready market due to the prime location of the region.
Touching on the siting of the project at Komenda instead of Cape Coast, Mr Ayeh explained that a baseline study of geographical, topographical, and layouts in six different locations; comprising two each in Takoradi, Komenda, and Cape Coast, identified the best location to be Komenda.
“An in-depth spatial survey was carried out on these sites and Komenda site one was chosen as the best location based on social, environmental, and economic indices,” he said.
The Takoradi-Cape Coast Highway would be converted into a double carriageway to ease commuting challenges as part of the project.
Relatedly, a railway line would be constructed to link the two cities to carry goods to and from the Cape Coast Airport to the Takoradi Harbour.
On educational benefits, he said an aviation school would be established to provide to provide air transport training for effective civil aviation management services.
Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, the Central Regional Minister, called for the unalloyed support of all stakeholders to make the project a reality.
She said considering the enormous socioeconomic benefits, it remained pivotal to turning the fortune of the region around.
Arranged by the Regional Coordinating Council, the forum was graced by officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Lands Commission, Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ghana Union of Traders Association, Ghana Water Company Ltd and the MMDAs among others.
According to recent information issued by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) on Monday January 30, 2023, Ghana’s total public debt stock increased dramatically to GH575.7 billion at the end of November 2022.
According to the Central Bank’s most recent debt statistics, Ghana’s debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio has increased from 75.9% in September 2022 to 93.5% today.
Also, the country’s debt stock increased by GH¢108.3 billion between September and November 2021.
Commenting on the figures on Starr Today with Joshua Nana Kwame, the economist indicated that the depreciation effect on the cedi can largely be blamed for the surging debt.
“If you look at the dynamics the reality is that since June we haven’t borrowed as a nation. So the surge you are seeing is actually the Exim loan of $750 million and then exchange rate effect or depreciating effect. The external debt, domestic debts even if the external was slightly higher the difference wasn’t much. It was more than 51 percent to about 49 percent between external and domestic.
He added that the debt-to-GDP ratio will definitely cross the 100% mark.
“As the way the IMF is looking at it, we are looking at debts of SOEs, public guarantee debts such as the Sino-hydro, ESLA, COCOBOD and many others will all be added now. These are total government obligations and if you incorporate all of that we are above 110 percent to GDP.”
The Minister pointed out that supporting the growth of mining communities is essential to maintaining the country’s mining businesses’ ethical activities.
The Minerals Development Fund (MDF), created by the Minerals Development Fund Act, 2016, Act 912, is mandated to provide financial resources for mining communities and associated issues.
Given that the Fund was set up, among others, to promote the welfare of the indigenes of mining communities, he contended that the commitment to provide alternative livelihoods, social infrastructure and other interventions across mining areas will continue.
While noting the ongoing work of MDF in the mining areas, he acknowledged this will help mining communities to become direct beneficiaries of the country country’s mining industry.
The minister’s visit also offered MDF a chance to present its action plan for 2023, which Mr. Jinapor later described as ambitious and achievable through concerted and collaborative efforts between the agency and the ministry.
The action plan, according to the minister, contains projects in the areas of health, education, alternative livelihood empowerment and general infrastructure.
“The action plan is such that they are going to roll-out a lot more projects in the mining communities. It is absolutely important that we carry indigenous mining communities with us, because without them we will not have the needed stability to construct the mining industry we so wish for,” he said.
The Administrator of MDF, Dr. Norris Hammah, said his outfit is grateful to the ministry for the support it has been receiving and is willing to team-up with ministry to achieve its set objectives for the 2023 calendar year and beyond.
He mentioned that the MDF is mandated by law to provide financial assistance in various ways to mining communities, and will ensure that the fund executes its mandate to the satisfaction of residents in all mining communities.
Mr. Appiah Dankwah, in response, stated that the move is not good and should be reconsidered.
“The importation of pork products from the United States will cause the Ghanaian industry to collapse. Several factories in Ghana produce pork products. As a result, the importation of such products will deprive us of our jobs and livelihood. You introduced pig rearing for food and jobs and gave people piglets. These farmers are about to benefit as you announce the importation of pork products,” he said.
“This is a terrible decision. It would aggravate the cedi’s depreciation. If the government wants us to produce more to meet demand, we should talk about it and figure out how to do it instead of importing.”
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) last month announced new energy and water rates that will take effect on January 1. According to the report, these rates are too high and may make it harder for businesses to operate.
Clement Osei-Amoako, president of the GNCCI, stated in Accra following a meeting with the PURC that “businesses that are into production are collapsing, and others are also relocating their operations out of the country; our concern is that the price spike is so great that we cannot handle it.”
The new tariffs took effect February 1, 2023. End-user electricity tariff has gone up up by 29.96 percent while water increased by 8.3 percent.
“As a chamber we will not wait for all our businesses to collapse before we come back and demand that the tariffs are reduced,” he added.
He explained that the chamber had bought into the government’s decision on import substitution and was subsequently taking steps to boost production and that the tariff decision is a major setback.
“With this increase in tariff, if we are not careful, we will defeat that purpose of import substitution because the cost of production is very high in a manner that businesses cannot break-even anymore and so we need to borrow to survive,” he lamented.
Too little too late
Reacting to GNCCI’s appeal, Executive Secretary of PURC, Dr. Ishmael Ackah, stated that the new tariffs had already been gazetted since January 16, this year and for that reason could not be reviewed.
“The decision on the tariff has been gazetted and so for now nothing can be done on the part of PURC. However, there will be other quarterly adjustments and so we will establish the protocols for engagement,” he noted.
He explained that the new tariffs was supposed to be announced November last year to take effect on December 1, 2022 but was put back because of unfavorable exchange rate at the time.
With the exchange rate being the major driver for the quarterly adjustment, he said the rate for December had risen above 40 percent: “So, we delayed and came out on January 15, this year with an upward review of electricity and water tariffs for the first quarter of 2023.
Meanwhile, following the meeting, the Executive Secretary revealed that the two bodies agreed to regular engagements before future tariffs decisions.
Notorious Afia Schwarzenegger couldn’t even wait for 24 hours to break the court’s ban.
Afia has already broken the ban as she’s dashed on social media to fight Chairman Wontumi’s employee, Cindy Cash.
In a trending video, Afia is seen raining all sorts of insults on her maidservant, Mary although she intended to drag Cindy Cash.
Afia indirectly and cunningly used untoward words on Cindy Cash but address her as Mary to try and escape violating the court’s ban.
But, of course, social media has redirected her attack to the right person, Cindy Cash who recently jubilated over her sentencing
Cindy Cash recently checked on social media to jubilate after Afia Schwar was fined GHC 60,000 and made to sign a bond of good behaviour on social media.
According to the report, Afia Schwarzenegger is not allowed to fight, attack or insult anybody on social media for the next two years.
Cindy Cash came out to react in excitement and noted that Afia even struggling to pay the GHC 60, 000 court fine.
Against all odds, Schwar couldn’t let that slide as she is seen in a video dealing with her.
According to reports on myjoyonline.com, Mike Kruninger, a senior country risk analyst at Fitch Solutions, stated that “the first thing I should mention is that the IMF Executive Board approval will come in the next weeks.”
He did note, however, that further postponing the Board’s approval would worsen investor mood given the nation’s present inflation rates and economic downturns.
“So, in the first quarter of 2023, should this not happen, we will be expecting investor confidence to remain rather weak in the coming months which will put additional pressure on the exchange rate. So, in that case, the currency will depreciate furthermore significantly than we currently anticipate,” he explained.
Mr. Kruninger added, “so what will happen in that instance is inflation will remain much higher for much longer. And this will then weigh on incomes, it will weigh on overall private sector activities.”
“So, in this instance, the economic wealth will become much weaker than the 2.9 percent that we are currently forecasting,” he stated.
According to a January 2023 Sub- Saharan Africa Macroeconomic Update, the progress made by the country in the debt exchange programme, a key requirement by the IMF has been lauded and is an indication of the country’s chances of getting the Fund’s support.
He claims that the Minority has a lot of concerns regarding the procedures the government is using with the gold-for-Oil plan, but there has not yet been a response.
The ranking member stated that no official message to Parliament regarding the transaction on the Gold for Oil program had been made during an appearance on the Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey on Thursday, February 2, 2023.
“Fortunately, 40,000 metric tons of diesel have arrived. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to hear the Deputy Minister for Energy, Andrew Egyapa Mercer and he confirmed to my dismay that the first parcel of oil, that is the diesel, was not procured with gold. Rather it was procured with cash from the Bank of Ghana. This clearly defects from what the Vice President has been telling us,” Mr. Jinapor stated.
According to him, the deputy minister stated that “contrary to what the Vice President said they (government) rather bought that parcel of oil with a cash amount from the Bank of Ghana. And my checks at the time that the oil was procured PMMC has not even bought an ounce of gold.”
Mr. Jinapor further added that the deputy minister also confirmed that they have an intermediary.
“If you are doing a barter trade you don’t need an intermediary. Barter trade simply means that I give you a commodity and you also give me a commodity. So once you hear of an intermediary what it means is that you are selling the gold to that intermediary.”
“So this whole gold for oil barter trade is nothing but a calculated, cooked thing from the Vice President’s office aimed at taking gold from the license gold exporters and selling it through an intermediary and using that dollars to procure oil.”
Despite the government’s claims that the policy is an intervention for the poor, the policy analyst contends that it is a business to profit some individuals.
He added that the plan was a vote-buying strategy intended to retain the existing administration in power.
Mr. Kwofie continued by claiming that the strategy was poorly thought out and not sustainable.
For him, the policy will fail in the same way that the Nation Builders Corp (NABCO) did.
The NRAS is designed to make rental accommodation more accessible, affordable, and convenient by taking away the unfair burden faced by lower-income households and the youth across the country of multi-year rent advance payments demanded by landlords.
The Scheme will target individuals in the formal and informal sectors with identifiable and regular income. The rent advance loans will be paid directly into landlords’ bank accounts, who would also have to register with the Scheme.
The initial rollout, with a seed funding of GHs 30m, will take place in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western, Eastern, Bono East, and Northern Regions, where data from the Ghana Statistical Service shows renters have the greatest challenge with rental accommodation, he said at the launch.
ILAPI’s boss stressed that the scheme would breed corruption because it lacks transparency in who really needs this scheme.
Read his full opinion below;
What the government didn’t tell you about the National Rental Assistance Scheme
1. The national Rental Assistance Scheme (NRAS) has a website built at a cost of taxpayers contributions. Remember NABCO also had a website.
2. The NRAS is a business not a social intervention as claimed by the government. The cost of your 1 year rent would be paid by the government. An interest of about 20% is on your monthly payment of the rent fee. This would be paid to the government monthly.
3. The government has a share of the 20% interest which will be collected by a private firm.
4. The NRAS has allocated GH30 million for the program. At the time of writing this, the seed money has not hit the NRAS’s account and likely the program will be delayed. Remember GH30 million was equally used to train MMDAS to implement NABCO and could see the end results????????????.
5. The NRAS is a vote buying business scheme of the government to maintain the regime. All vote buying programs of the government have led to wasteful expenditures. Don’t for get NABCO, NEIP, Free Fertilizer Distribution, and youth in Afforestation.
6. It has no well-thought-out policy paper to guide the implementation and for reviews in future.
7. The NRAS is not driven by taxes or tax policies for its sustainability. Ghana has a poor loan repayment culture at the individual level due to high dependency ratio and extractive economic institutions.
This scheme would breed corruption looking at lack of transparency in who really needs this scheme.
A white paper is needed immediately to guide the implementation.
A seed money of GHC30 million isn’t enough for this program and must be relooked.
Ghanaian sports journalist, Juliet Bawuah has announced her departure from Media General, broadcasting firm that owns TV3 and other brands.
Juliet formally submitted her resignation letter to the media organization, on January 16, 2023, according to a post on her Facebook page.
“It’s the end of another successful professional journey,” Ms Bawuah remarked in a statement shared on Thursday, February 2.
Also, she thanked Ghanaians for their tremendous support throughout her time with TV3.
She was the Group Head of Sports for Media General until her exit.
Ghanaguardian.com is unable to instantly determine her next destination because she did not mention it in her statement.
Juliet Bawuah has written for top media houses. She has interviewed FIFA President, Gianni Infantino as well as the former World Player of the Year and current Liberia President George Weah.
She rose to fame after speaking with Gianni Infantino on the margins of the FIFA Summit in Mauritania.
She established the Africa Women’s Sports Summit, an initiative that brings together eminent and aspiring female athletes from Africa.
The success of Nigerian artistes have mostly been attributed to their huge numbers but dancehall artiste, Stonebwoy believes that their huge attainment goes beyond that.
According to him, Nigerian artistes are ahead of their African counterparts because they are aggressive and positive minded.
“Truth be told, I’ve been discussing this with my Nigerian brothers. We’ve been trying to crack this but we all believe that the numbers factor is part of it and then that not been the number one for me, I admire my brothers for their tenacity, aggressiveness and also their mindset,” Stonebwoy told host Charlamagne Tha God on the Breakfast Club.
Speaking on the Breakfast Club in the United States recently, the Nominate hitmaker mentioned that even though he admired Nigerians for such qualities, he had no reservations about the instrumental roles of Ghanaian artistes towards the development of African music.
“And the beautiful thing is that we all tap into that because these are our brothers, no matter how you want to put borders around it, we are one people so it’s all of us in the end. We play our role, and they play their role as well,” he stated.
He also disclosed how some of the Nigerian artistes have been praising Ghana for contributing to their success.
“Interestingly, every of their top-lister, find inspiration in Ghana. Burna says it often, Wizkid literally lives in Ghana, Davido is like a brother that’s 24/7 we’re together. We’re all playing our individual roles together out there, we cannot all be in the front seat,” he noted.
Renowned sound engineer and music producer, Appiah Darkwah popularly known as Appietus is heaping praises on veteran Highlife artiste, Daddy Lumba for being a big inspiration for him at the early stages of his career.
Speaking on Kumasi based Pure FM, the distinguished beatmaker disclosed that it was Lumba’s huge payment for a service he (Appietus) rendered to the musician that encouraged him to venture into music production.
Read also My dad didn’t want “Daddy Lumba was the first artiste to give me a substantial amount of money in my career. He came to the studio and we had a discussion, afterwards, he went out and brought a jute bag saying he had brought me drinks.
“I carried the bag home without checking its contents. The following day, my wife asked me if I won’t send the money to the bank so I got confused.
“Then she told me the bag I brought was filled with cash. You know when we started it wasn’t about the money but rather it was about the talent”, he said.
Appietus’ comments come days after the Aben Woha hitmaker has been heavily criticised for allegedly swindling Gospel singer, Great Ampong when they worked together on album in 2015.
John Legend’s newborn baby’s name turned out to be a happy coincidence. The “All of Me” singer and wife Chrissy Teigen welcomed their third child, daughter Esti Maxine Stephens, on Jan. 13.
And though John exclusively told E! News correspondent Courtney Lopez that the name was Chrissy’s idea, it ended up having a surprising family connection.
The Legend Family
As he revealed on the Feb. 1 episode of E! News (airing tonight at 11 p.m.), “It turns out, my great-grandmother was named Esther.”
“It wasn’t intentionally after someone,” John explained, “but once Chrissy told me that idea, I was like, ‘Oh, my great-grandmother’s name was Esther.’”
Esti’s middle name also shares ties to another one of John’s relatives. “We wanted to already name her middle name Maxine after my grandmother, whose middle name was Maxine,” the 44-year-old shared. “So, it’s a lot of my family in the name.”
John and Chrissy—who also share daughter Luna, 6, and son Miles, 4—announced they were expecting baby No. 3 in August 2022, two years after Chrissy experienced a pregnancy loss in October 2021.
“The last few years have been a blur of emotions to say the least, but joy has filled our home and hearts again,” Chrissy wrote on Instagram Aug. 3. Addressing her IVF journey, the star added, “1 billion shots later (in the leg lately, as u can see!) we have another on the way.”
And a couple of days after becoming a family of five, the proud parents announced the name and sex of their new bundle of joy on Jan. 19. Posting a photo of her three kids together on Instagram, Chrissy wrote, “She’s here! Esti Maxine Stephens – the house is bustling and our family could not be happier.”
“Daddy shed nightly tears of joy seeing Luna and Miles so full of love, and I am learning you still need diapers with a c section!?” Chrissy continued. “We are in bliss. Thank you for all the love and well wishes – we feel it all!”
On top of being a new dad, John also just launched his brand-new, unisex skincare line Loved01. And, as The Voice coach detailed to E! News, creating a skincare line for people of color has become his new passion project.
“Far too often, those skin types are ignored or understudied, under researched when it comes to developing and formulating skincare products,” he said of his new business. “And so, we all felt that was a gap that needed to be addressed and that we could create a new product whose mission was to address that gap and to do it in a way that was really accessible and affordable for people.”
John’s unisex skincare line Loved01 (@loved01skin) is available now on Loved01.com and at CVS stores nationwide and CVS.com.
Weighing in at 2.5 tonnes in a white-and-orange coloured beauty, and powered by twin 60HP engines, the Trident is a cruise boat named after an island of the same name.
The Trident is a quality adventure Island ran by BraveHearts Expeditions Limited, a leading outdoor adventure and experiential learning company. It is located at Akwamufie near the Adomi Bridge in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region.
The double-decker cruise boat will run day and night cruises beginning on Sunday, February 12, 2023 and will host a maximum of 20 non-crew passengers per cruise. The boat is 36-feet long with a 12-feet wide deck and stands at a height of 14 feet.
“Each cruise will last a total of 90 minutes, and the boat will first detour at the base of the Akosombo Dam through the Akwamu Gorge when it casts off from the reception of the Trident,” says JayJay Addo-Koranteng, Executive Officer of BraveHearts Expeditions.
“From the dam, it will sail at full throttle across the 8.5km expanse of River Volta’s course to the Adomi Bridge before it goes about at the bridge to the reception of the Trident.”
The cruise boat was built in Ghana by Benlex Engineering and Marine Systems as a Landing Craft, and is the most stable riverine vessel on River Volta, packing a maximum speed of 25 knots.
“We absolutely did not want to import a boat,” Mr. Addo-Koranteng mentioned to Graphic Showbiz about why his company chose to make the boat in Ghana.
“We felt that we understood enough of nautical engineering and naval architecture to have it built here. Besides, if it was a matter of certification, the Ghana Maritime Authority has all the competence to guide and authorise construction of seaworthy and river-worthy vessels. Building it in Ghana created jobs, as well as good opportunities for anyone that can afford it to own a boat,” he stated.
BraveHearts Expeditions’ Trident Island business offers hiking, abseiling, kayaking and paintballing adventures to customers of all ages, and is the most interactive island adventure location in Ghana.
With the addition of the highly customer-friendly cruise boat, the company maintains its reputation as the most forward-looking adventure company in Ghana, and is on course to make Akwamufie the home of all advanced water and mountaineering sports activities in West Africa.
Having support from several parties and stakeholders, according to him, is essential, especially if/when the program’s lifespan beyond the term of the current administration.
It’s crucial that the program receive cross-party support because the DDEP spans a period that extends beyond the tenure of the current administration, he told the B&FT.
The programme has however been fought against by several organisations and groups – including opposition Members of Parliament and individual bondholders. The pushbacks have led to three different postponements to the deadline for voluntary participation by government of Ghana bond holders, the latest of which came on January 31, 2023. The new deadline is now February 7 this year.
“There is a lot of anger welling up inside people which should not be underestimated,” Mr. Thompson said, adding that a more important measure would be for government to demonstrate a desire to stabilise the economy by cutting down expenditure and size of government, and adopting more prudent revenue mobilisation strategies.
“Following the hue and cry over the DDEP, I thought government would announce some cuts to government expenditure. This may include the consolidation of some ministries and rationalisation of public sector departments. Unfortunately, this will be ‘too little too late’. To achieve support for the DDEP, government must be transparent and ‘share the pain’ with bondholders. Government expenditure must be cut significantly,” he noted.
Meanwhile, to mitigate the DDEP’s impact, he said: “Emergency support should be provided by the Bank of Ghana. This should include allowing financial institutions to convert illiquid assets such as shares and property into cash”.
Former Deputy Sports Minister, Vincent Oppong Asamoah has described the performance of the Black Galaxies at the 2022 African Nations Championship [CHAN] as terrible and poor.
The Galaies returned to the tournament for the first time since 2014 and were hoping to make an impact after securing qualification in grand style.
However, the team opened their campaign with a defeat 1-0 against debutants Madagascar before fighting back to record a 3-1 win over Sudan.
Ghana, however, were crashed out of the tournament after suffering a 2-0 defeat against Niger in the quarterfinal clash.
Reacting to the performance of the team led by Annor Walker as the head coach, the Member of Parliament for Dormaa East Constituency said the team had enough time to prepare for the tournament but their performance did not reflect their preparations.
According to him, the performance of the team was terrible.
“It was a very terrible performance,” he told Asempa FM. “This was a team we gave ample time to prepare.
“They played as if they were meeting for the first time and it was very terrible.”
Asked about the cause for such an abysmal performance, he said, “We are living in past glories. We cheat when it comes to the ages of the players. I know of this because it was happening during my time.”
In view of that he suggested that as a country we need to be faithful and diligent in order to flourish.
“We need to be truthful to ourselves, give our players the right nutrition and medication, train our technical men well and shun age cheating.
“We need to be a bit professional and be very serious this time around,” he added.
Valentines day is just around the corner and Accra City Hotel, Accra, has put together a mouth-watering weekend of love for both couples and singles alike.
The event Love Weekend which is in partnership with Graphic Showbizcomes off at the Accra City Hotel on Friday, February 17.
In a chat with both the Sales and Marketing Manager and the Business Development Manager who both threw more light on what patrons should expect at the Love Weekend which starts with a special banquet.
Business Development Manager, Miss Selasi Adjoa Kusorgbor who was visibly excited about the upcoming event said, “The evening is going to start off with a lot of performances with live band music and Cina Soul as a guest act.
“Then we are going to have a banquet in the form of a buffet with a large variety of food from starters, main dishes and desserts, there will be lots to drink from wines, beers, cocktails, fruit juices to soft drinks etc.
“There will be lots of chocolates, what is love without chocolates? We will also have Relationship Coach in the person of Abena Manokekeme who will talk to us about love, everything about the evening is going to be centered on love so even if you come alone, you will feel the love.
“So the place is going to be set up nicely and it will be made all cozy. Patrons can enjoy to the max. We have packages for all pockets. For those who want to have a meal, dance and go back home, it will cost GHc650 for singles and GHc1,200 for couples.
“We are looking at people coming in from 6pm, taking pictures, getting all comfortable for a great night ahead. We are working with Graphic Showbiz so it is going to be everything entertainment and lovey-dovey”, she stated.
According to Selasi, there are packages for those who want to sleep over, “We have a one-night package going for GHc2,800 which includes access to the banquet with your partner and one-night stay with us plus breakfast. We also have a two-night package that is Friday night through to Saturday night which goes for GHc4,000 which includes access to the special banquet and breakfast.
“Accra City Hotel is one of the hotels championing customer service which is our hallmark, we do our best and go out of our way to ensure our guests are comfortable whenever they are on our premises”, she added.
On his part, the Sales and Marketing Manager Yaw Mamphey said they are really looking forward to February 17.
“ February 17 is the day we have agreed to celebrate Valentine’s Day, the actual day is February 14 which is the beginning of the week so a lot of people will be busy at work, so we thought it through and said why not move it towards the weekend where people will have time to celebrate”, he concluded.
Beyoncehas finally confirmed her 2023 world tour dubbed “The Renaissance World Tour” according to Rollingstone.com, Ghana is said to be a possible destination.
The singer announced the world tour on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, on Instagram after several weeks of speculations from Beyonce fans, thus, Behives about her world tour.
Beyonce world tour is basically in support of Renaissance, an Album she released. The Album made her 7th studio Album.
Rollingstone.com said the Rennaisance tour by Bey is scheduled to make stops in stadiums across the world and seeks to kick start soon.
The tour is reported to commence in May in Europe before going to North America on July 8 with back-to-back Nights at Toronto Rogers center with Philadelphia, Nashville, Chicago, and other possible stops.
The Renaissance tour comes after Beyonce recently performed in Dubai going on a hiatus for a while. Beyonce’s illustrious performance in Dubai took place at the AtlantisThe Royal where she was reportedly paid $24 million for an hour performance.
The show in Dubai was supposed to be a private one, but fans made their way with clips from the top-notch performance by Beyonce
The Renaissance tour by Beyonce marks a reflective journey after her “The On The Run” tour in 2018. The tour took stops across North America and Europe.
According to reports from Metro.co.uk, Beyonce Rennaisance Tour in 2023 could make a stop in Ghana. Per the reports, Beyonce has said she hopes to make Ghana a possible destination for the tour.
This could be good news for the Behives in Africa because the last time Beyonce performed in Africa was in 2018 South Africa at the Global Citizen Festival where her husband Jay Z joined her on stage. Beyonce also had Shatta Wale, the reggae Dancehall single on her Album, “The Gift” which featured a host of African stars.
Ghana has been an attractive place for most entertainers in recent times with Meek Mill performing at the Afronation in December.
The focused review, which complies with the principles and recommendations on corporate governance issued by the African Union (AU), aims to assist in addressing the growth and empowerment of the main private sector sectors.
The private sector players that the corporate governance practice will be beneficial to, include Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), informal sector and family-owned businesses as well as multinationals and listed and unlisted firms.
Thereafter, a report will be tabled at the AU forum, where it would be peer-reviewed before its launch, as well as the dissemination and implementation of the outcome of the report.
The announcement of the review process was done at an editors’ forum with editors of various media organisations in Accra, organised by the National African Peer Review Mechanism (NAPRM).
Laud Mansfield Baddoo, Eminent Person, at NAPRM Governing Council, said the review would help equip Ghanaian firms to improve their operations and access investments both locally and foreign to harness the opportunities at AfCFTA.
He added that effective corporate governance was a vital tool to enable the private sector to develop and grow, and urged all organisations, irrespective of their size and operations to adhere to accepted standards.
Madam Winnifred Akoto-Sampong, Acting Executive Secretary of National African NAPRM-GC, said the report had shown that Ghanaian private sector businesses were not taking advantage of trading opportunities of AfCFTA.
“We have a $1.3 billion market, so we want to understand and address the issues so we can sustain ourselves as a continent without running to others,” Mad Akoto-Sampong, added.
Gifty Afenyi Dadzie, who represented the Chairman of the Governing Council, NAPRM-GC, said the review was strategic and unique because it was tied to AfCFTA implementation.
She said: “It is the first of its kind and would result in Ghana setting another enviable record of being the first to be peer-reviewed under AfCFTA, after setting a similar record as the first nation to be peer-reviewed on all four APRM pillars in 2006.”
She added that: “Our focus, therefore, is on how Ghana should accelerate its preparedness to take full advantage of AfCFTA for sustainable economic growth and development.”
Sensational Ghanaian songstress, Efya, has revealed that she does not know who Blakk Rasta is.
Efya made this surprising revelation when she was recently interviewed on GhOne TV’s Rhythms show.
When the host of the show brought the name of Blakk Rasta up during the interview, she said ‘Who is that? He is a rapper? He is a radio presenter?’
The “Jorley” hitmaker, after being given some clues by the host of the show, admitted that she knows the 3FM presenter and described him as a funny man who does funny music.
Efya went further to state that it is not really necessary for her to know all the people in the music industry because she believes in the principle of each one for him/herself, God for us all.
Multiple award-winning singer made the controversial statement when they were talking about how Blakk Rasta recently attacked Sarkodie and described how he performed on the remix of Bob Marley’s ‘Stir It Up’ as ‘wack’.
